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Definition of keep something back in US English:

keep something back

phrasal verb

‘They have always been told that insurance companies kept back some profits from the good years to compensate for the bad ones.’

‘Martin said some pupils had still not received their report cards, which were being kept back because they had failed to pay their school fees.’

‘Emergency services made arrangements with garages for supplies to be kept back specially for their vehicles.’

‘Although this was the amount of rations laid down by law some of the shady crews often kept back food for to sell when they reached shore.’

‘The profit kept back for the firm, after tax, was just £4.48m.’

‘District councillors have blamed central government cutbacks for the rise, as newly introduced funding ‘ceilings’ mean money has been kept back from many local councils.’

‘So far everything we've kept back will have a place in the next house, even if only once a year, like Christmas decorations.’

‘Patrick Scott, York's director of education, said it was tempting to assume funding was being kept back, but he suspected the truth was more complicated.’

‘When the pasta is ready, drain through a colander - keeping back a bit of the water - and tip immediately onto the egg yolk- and Parmesan mix, and ensuring that 1-2 tbsp of the cooking water goes with it.’

‘The blunder was made in calculating how much of the grant should go to schools and how much kept back for administration.’